An electronic price label (EPL) price verification system which ensures that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) for the item. The EPL price verification system includes a computer system...http://www.google.com.au/patents/US5794211?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5794211 - EPL price verification system and method

An electronic price label (EPL) price verification system which ensures that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) for the item. The EPL price verification system includes a computer system coupled to the EPL, which includes a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal. The storage medium contains an EPL data file, which contains EPL identification information and an EPL price verifier. The computer terminal executes a price verification program which reads the PLU file to obtain the price of the item, calculates another price verifier from the price of the item in the price file, reads EPL data file to obtain the one price verifier, compares the one and the other price verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changes the displayed price to the price in the PLU file if the one and the other price verifiers are different.

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Claims(4)

What is claimed is:

1. A method of ensuring that a price for an item obtained from a price file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising the steps of:

(a) reading an electronic price label data file to obtain identification information and a price verifier for the item;

(b) reading the price file to obtain the price of the item using the identification information obtained from the electronic price label data file;

(c) calculating another price verifier from the price of the item in the price file;

(d) comparing the one and the other price verifiers to determine whether they are equal; and

(e) changing the displayed price to the price if the one and the other price verifiers are different.

2. A method of ensuring that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electronic price label data file including a record associated with the electronic price label;

(b) storing identification information for the item in the record;

(c) determining a price checksum value for the item from the displayed price;

(e) reading the record in the electronic price label data file to obtain the identification information and the price checksum value for the item;

(f) reading the price file to obtain the price of the item using the identification information obtained from the electronic price label data file;

(g) calculating another price checksum value from the price of the item in the price file;

(h) comparing the one and the other price checksum values to determine whether the one and the other price checksum values are equal; and

(i) changing the displayed price to the price if the one and the other price checksum values are different.

3. A system for ensuring that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price assigned to an electronic price label (EPL) for the item for display by the EPL, comprising:

a computer system coupled to the EPL, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal;

wherein the storage medium contains an EPL data file, which contains identification information and an price verifier for the item;

wherein the computer terminal reads the PLU file to obtain the price of the item, calculates another price verifier from the price of the item in the price file, reads the EPL data file to obtain the one price verifier, compares the one and the other price verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changes the displayed price to the price in the PLU file if the one and the other price verifiers are different.

4. A system for ensuring that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price assigned to an electronic price label (EPL) for the item for display by the EPL, comprising:

a computer system coupled to the EPL, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal;

wherein the storage medium contains an EPL data file including a record associated with the EPL;

wherein the computer terminal stores identification information for the item in the record, determines a price checksum value for the item from the displayed price, stores the price checksum value in the EPL data file, reads the record in the EPL data file to obtain the identification information and the price checksum value for the item, reads the price file to obtain the price of the item using the identification information obtained from the electronic price label data file, calculates another price checksum value from the price of the item in the price file, compares the one and the other price checksum values to determine whether the one and the other price checksum values are equal, and changes the displayed price to the price if the one and the other price checksum values are different.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to an electronic price label (EPL) price verification system and method.

In a traditional retail store, bar code scanners rely on price information maintained within a price-lookup (PLU) file. The PLU file is typically stored in a single location at host server.

EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for each merchandise item in a store. EPLs display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A store may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLS are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. The EPL data file contains EPL identification information, EPL merchandise item information, and price verifier information, such as, a checksum value. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from the PLU file.

Price mismatch can occur in EPLs if the price in the PLU data file has a checksum value that is different than the checksum value in the EPL data file. One situation that can produce price mismatch between the PLU data file and the EPL data file is when either the PLU data file or the EPL data file is lost due to a failure in a storage medium containing the lost file.

The typical method of recovering from such a price mismatch situation is to create and execute price change requests for every EPL in the store. Such price change requests can take hours to accomplish. In stores having thousands of EPLS, this method is inefficient because it changes the prices of EPLs that do not suffer from price mismatch.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an EPL price verification system and method which can ensure that the price information in the PLU file is the same price information that is displayed by the EPLS, and which obviates the need to change the prices of all EPLs when price mismatch occurs in less than all of the EPLS.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an electronic price label (EPL) price verification system and method are provided. The EPL price verification system includes a computer system coupled to the EPL, which includes a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal. The storage medium contains an EPL data file, which contains EPL identification information and an EPL price verifier. The computer terminal executes a price verification program which reads the PLU file to obtain the price of the item, calculates another price verifier from the price of the item in the PLU file, reads EPL data file to obtain the one price verifier, compares the one and the other price verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changes the displayed price to the price in the PLU file if the one and the other price verifiers are different.

The method of the present invention includes the steps of reading an electronic price label data file to obtain identification information and a price verifier for the item, reading the price file to obtain the price of the item, calculating another price verifier from the price of the item in the price file, comparing the one and the other price verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changing the displayed price to the price if the one and the other price verifiers are different.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an electronic price label (EPL) price over function system and method.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic price label (EPL) price verification system and method which ensure that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) for the item.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a transaction management system;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the information within the PLU data file and the EPL data file; and

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of the price verification method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, store system 10 primarily includes host computer system 12, point-of-service (POS) system 14, and EPL system 16.

EPLs 22 are typically attached to shelves within a store and include a data register 54 and a display 56. Data registers 54 contain data, usually the price of an item associated with an EPL on the shelves. The data is typically displayed by display 56.

Here, terminals 20, 24, and 40 are shown as separate components that are networked together, but they may also be combined in different ways. For example, EPL terminal 24 and host PLU terminal 40 may be combined to form a single host computer. POS terminal 20 and host PLU terminal 40 may be combined to form a POS terminal which doubles as a host computer for a network of other POS terminals.

Turning now to FIG. 2, EPL data file 32 and PLU data file 44 are shown in more detail. EPL data file 32 includes a line entry for each EPL 22 in EPL system 16. Each line entry has an item identification entry (ITEM ID), an EPL identification entry (EPL ID), and an EPL price checksum value entry (EPL CHECK).

Entry ITEM ID identifies a store item. Entry EPL ID identifies which EPL is assigned to the item. Entry EPL CHECK is a checksum value of the digits of the price information that is displayed by display 56.

PLU data file 44 includes a line entry for each item sold in the store. Each line entry has an item identification entry (ITEM ID), and a PLU price entry (PLU PRICE).

Entry ITEM ID identifies a store item. Entry PLU PRICE identifies the price read by POS system 14 to determine the price of each item during scanning by bar code scanner 18.

During normal operation, EPL terminal 24 obtains price information from PLU data file 44 and sends it to data register 54. Display 56 displays the price in data register 54. During a price mismatch situation, the price information from PLU data file 44 does not agree with the price displayed by EPL. Price verifier software 38 compares the price PLU file 44 with the price displayed by EPLs 22 by comparing entry EPL CHECK in EPL data file 32 with a checksum value it generates from the corresponding price in entry PLU PRICE.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the price verification method of the present invention begins with START 60.

In step 62, price verifier software 38 reads EPL data file 32.

In step 64, price verifier software 38 examines entry ITEM ID.

In step 66, price verifier software 38 reads PLU data file 44.

In step 68, price verifier software 38 reads the line entry in PLU data file 44 having the same ITEM ID entry as the one read from EPL data file 32.

In step 74, price verifier software 38 compares the calculated checksum value for entry PLU PRICE with the entry EPL CHECK. If the calculated checksum value is not the same as the EPL CHECK entry, the price for the item having ITEM ID is not the same in both EPL data file 32 and PLU data file 44. Price mismatch has occurred between the price for the item displayed by its EPL and the price that would be tallied by POS system 14.

In step 78, price verifier program 38 generates a price change request for changing the displayed price to the PLU price and updates the checksum value in entry EPL CHECK in EPL data file 32. This request may by an immediate request or part of a batch of requests stored in batch price change file 52.

In step 80, the method determines whether the last line entry of EPL data file 32 has been read. If so, the method ends at step 82. If not, the method returns to step 62 to read another line entry from EPL data file 32.

Returning to step 74, if the calculated checksum value is the same as the EPL CHECK entry, the price for the item having ITEM ID is the same in both EPL data file 32 and PLU data file 44. Price mismatch has not occurred between the price for the item displayed by its EPL and the price that would be tallied by POS system 14. The method proceeds to step 80.

The price verification method of the present invention may be performed at any time. It is preferable to perform the price verification after a loss of either the EPL data file or the PLU data file.

Although the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Remotely-alterable electronic display label employing an electronic ink layer integrated within a stacked-layer architecture employing an antenna layer and an integrated circuit layer supporting an on-board battery power component, and a programmed processor for determining graphical indicia to be displayed by said electronic ink layer in response to electromagnetic signals received from said antenna

Electronic-ink based display system employing a plurality of RF-based activator modules in wireless communication with a plurality of remotely-updateable electronic display devices, each employing an electronic ink layer integrated within a stacked architecture

Electronic-ink based label system employing a plurality of remote activator modules in communication with a plurality of remotely-updateable electronic-ink display labels each assigned unique encryption keys for allowing only a subset of said labels to receive a broadcasted message from a common encrypted message broadcast signal

Electronic menu display system employing a plurality of portable menus, each including an electronic-ink display label for displaying information updated by one or more activator modules within the restaurant

Electronic information display system employing a plurality of electronic-ink display labels associated with a plurality of manufactured items for displaying information which changes as the manufactured items move through wholesale/retail distribution channels

Electronic shipping container labeling system for labeling a plurality of shipping containers transported through a shipping system, using electronic-ink shipping labels displaying information regarding said shipping containers, and remotely updated by one or more activator modules

Electronic product price display system for installation in a retail environment and employing a plurality of electronic-ink display labels associated with a plurality of consumer products, for displaying price and/or promotional information remotely programmed using one or more activator modules installed within said retail environment

Electronic-ink based RFID tag for attachment to a consumer item and displaying graphical indicia indicating whether or not said consumer items has been read and its integrated RFID module has been activated or deactivated

Electronic tagging system for tagging a plurality of luggage items transported through a transportation system, using electronic-ink display tags for displaying real-time information regarding said luggage items, and remotely programmable by activator modules installed throughout said transportion system